Friday, 3 December 2010

How To Medicate A Gecko

Jabba has pinworms. It's a hazard of feeding him crickets, as not all livefood suppliers ensure their crickets are parasite-free. He had a visit to the vet last week, and didn't disgrace himself as Dooya was wont to do, and is in rude health other than the worms and a little bit of junk in the trunk to shift.

The favoured treatment for pinworms is 0.2ml of Panacur once a day for three days. So this is how to go about giving meds to a 120g bruiser such as Jabba.

Assemble syringe and medicine.

Open vivarium and place hand in for gecko to crawl onto.

Remove escaping locust from arm.

Try to grab gecko as he sprints past hand to the warm hide.

Lift up warm hide to extract gecko.

Retrieve gecko from behind the cold hide.

Sit down on sofa with gecko on lap.

Take up medicine in syringe.

Retrieve gecko from between your shoulder blades.

Hold gecko gently but firmly in right hand.

Mop up urine from t-shirt.

Gently stroke gecko's mouth to encourage him to open it.

Gently stroke gecko's mouth to encourage him to let go of your finger.

Gently stroke gecko's mouth again.

Slide syringe with catheter into mouth.

Retrieve syringe from the other side of the living room and gecko from down the side of the sofa.

Hold gecko gently but firmly in right hand.

Mop up further urine all over jeans.

Gently stroke gecko's mouth to encourage him to open it.

Persuade spouse to slide syringe in.

Inject medication.

Gently stroke gecko's mouth to encourage him to let go of the catheter.

Retrieve gecko from underneath cushion.

Return gecko to vivarium.

Chase escapee locusts around living room.

Nurse wounds.

He's ace though. And currently sulking spectacularly, with the look of annoyance that only a medicated pet can give.